The Warrenville Public Library has partnered with Sapphire Studios in Naperville on a flash tattoo fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 3, with a portion of proceeds going to the American Library Association's (ALA) Unite Against Book Bans fund.

Local artists will offer library-themed tattoo designs starting at $100 at the event, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at Sapphire Studios, 4S100 Route 59, Suite 11, Naperville, according to the Warrenville city calendar. Art prints will also be available for those who want literary art without a tattoo, according to a Sapphire Studios Facebook post promoting the event.

Each tattoo's price will be listed on flash sheets at the studio. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. All payment methods are accepted.

The event is for adults 18 and older.

Warrenville Public Library staff plan to set up on-site to sign visitors up for library cards. Information booths hosted by the library, community organizations and artists will be open to guests who come along without getting tattooed.

The fundraiser lands the day before Banned Books Week 2026 officially begins. The national observance runs Sunday, Oct. 4, through Oct. 10 under the theme "Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read."

The event comes amid a surge in book challenges and bans nationwide. The ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second-highest total the organization has documented. That same year, 5,668 books were banned from libraries, the highest single-year count since ALA began compiling censorship data in 1990.

ALA President Sam Helmick said in an April statement unveiling the 2026 Banned Books Week theme: "Every person has the right to seek information and choose books without censorship."